Vocal Points
by Kabuto-pants
Summary: I watch the man with the violin every day; his bittersweet melody stings my ears and reminds me of dreams vanquished. GrimmIchi, Yaoi. Side pairing of Zaraki/Byakuya/Hanatarou  yes, all together .
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi guys, and welcome to Vocal Points! I'm in a bit of a writing mood, and hopefully I can make this into a chapter story. My goal is ten chapters with a minimum of 2,000 words a chapter. This is mostly because I don't have a chapter story up. I did, but I took it down because I had no intentions of finishing it, and I hate leaving up stories that aren't going to be finished. I say hate a lot, don't I? Oh well, shit happens then you die. I am going back to my whole "love and relationship" plots now. _Cyberdreds and Fishnets_ was an adventure to me, one that I hope I do not have to make again soon. I had fun with it, but I don't think I achieved anything with it. Here comes the [H] word again: I hate not having a meaning behind a story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the anime Bleach, written by Tite Kubo. Rated M for a reason. There are no sexual scenes now, and I will mention a scene at the beginning of a chapter. If under 18, please stay away. It's only a warning because the parental units have their ways of finding this shit out. Also, this is meant to be a Yaoi, not Shonen-ai. The difference being that one contains sex between men, and the other is just fluffy stuff.

…

My dream had always been to be a singer, to go on stage and sing my heart out with words that meant something. I had records of all kinds, my wall was covered with paper with song lyrics, and my violin sat in its case, clean and pristine. However…I can't speak. I lost the ability to do so with an infection as a young child. My mother and father were devastated, knowing that it was the only thing I had wanted.

Truthfully, I still want it.

The doctors say that I can get my voice back, surgery is the only way. They also say that I only have a twenty percent chance. One more thing, the doctor said, I wouldn't be able to sing. For twenty years, I've had this hanging over my head. Medicine has come a long way since then, but my chances have only increased five percent in that time.

I've stopped crying in that time, I've come to terms with it. I'm 25 years old, and instead of singing, I play violin. The sharp shrill and the low keening of the instrument remind me of a sad cry, one that I wish I could produce from my own mouth. I stand in the market place during shopping hours and play my sad music, closing my eyes and just feeling the notes leave my body. This is my voice now, this is how I feel.

…

I watch the man with the violin every day; his bittersweet melody stings my ears and reminds me of dreams vanquished. At times his music is uplifting, and I smile as I work. He has been here in this marketplace for a good five years now, never missing a day we are opened to the masses.

Today is a sad day for him, I can hear his pain and longing in his music. I touch the place where my right arm used to be, the stump tingling with my thoughts. I lost it ten years ago. I had been in a hit-and-run accident as a pedestrian. The driver ran over my arm at the elbow, completely flattening it. The doctors tried to reconstruct it, but it only caused me to lose feeling in my entire arm and contracted an infection which ate away at the muscles.

The doctors had to amputate my arm before the infection spread any further. How do you tell someone who just passed their piloting test and was hired by a big airline that they will never be able to fly a plane, a dream they were just about to complete?

I'm 34 years old, and I sell textiles and accessories with my cousin and her husband in the market place. I live with them as well, along with their young children. I'm 'Uncle Grimmy,' and I love every second of my life. I have my regrets, who doesn't?

…

"Grimmy! Can you take care of this customer so that I can get more stuff from the truck? Nnoitra is being lazy again," Neliel Tu Odelschwanck-Gilga shouted back to me, as I was sorting out boxes and setting up the back of the stall. Neliel would never let me carry a box, still trying to take care of me. I hated that, but she could be crazy scary when things didn't go her way. I made my way to the front of the stall, and spotted the man with the violin. His head was covered with a scarf and it wrapped around his neck as well. However a piece of orange bang stuck out against his forehead.

"Go ahead, Neliel, I've got it now. Tell your husband I'll kick his ass if he doesn't get to work," I said to the sea foam green haired woman, taking over the cash register up front.

She leaned over onto my shoulder and whispered into my ear, "Don't lose your patience. He's mute."

I looked to my cousin as she walked away, a bit dumbstruck. The man coughed, catching my attention, and pointed to the scarf around him. I realized it was one of the few that I had knitted on my specialized knitting board. It was orange and red fuzzy yarn with fringed edges and beads knotted on the ends. It was something the kids, Guatiche and Bristanne, helped pick out. The boys said the red was for passion and the orange reminded them of the violinist where mama and Uncle Grimmy worked. I didn't actually expect the one it was made in honor of to actually buy the piece.

"I'll give ya a discount because the boys like yer music," I started only to receive a scowl from the man, "What? They like it so much they made me make that scarf in yer honor. Five dollars and sixteen cents is the total."

The oranget dropped the scowl and blushed, fingering an edge. He handed me a ten and I gave him four dollars and eighty-four cents as his change. Our hands brushed, and his face became violently red.

…

That blasted blue haired menace was watching me the entire day. I could feel his gaze on me even when my eyes were closed. I could safely say he was attractive, that maybe he would be a good fuck, and I realized how brash I was being. I liked guys, yeah, but I wasn't emotionally stable enough to even think about interacting outside of family and close friends.

His name was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, he was Neliel's cousin. I knew Neliel from our mutual friend, Orihime Inuoe. It was Orihime who suggested I do street preforming at this market place near Neliel's stall. That woman said that her friend would enjoy the music, and it would attract more customers.

I had always admired their merchandise, from afar of course. I didn't know how to handle making an exchange without saying something. I clearly couldn't speak.

I wore the scarf, it kept me warm on this early March day, and my music filled the market fully. It was a happier tune, showing how much I appreciated the piece around my head. When I had turned to look back at the stall, Grimmjow was again watching. I liked that gaze.

The blue haired man looked away, having been caught looking at me, and I think I spotted a bit of red on his cheeks.

It was late in the day, and the temperature was dropping quickly. The days were still short, and a light snow was beginning to fall. I replaced my violin in its case, snapping the silver clamps after gently setting the instrument down. Glancing at my wrist watch, the time read 5:56 pm. I had to get home to Yuzu and Karin, my little sisters. They were in high school now, close to graduation come May. I had never had a conversation with them, I never got to sing them a lullaby, and I never got to whisper words of praise for all they have done. I was six when they were born, and I was so happy to be a big brother. My mother let me hold them a few times, even showed me how to help feed them.

They were three when our mother died. I was just learning how to play the violin at that time, since my mother also played. This violin isn't just my voice, but also a connection to my mother. Goodness, I sound like such a Gary-Stu.

…

"Nel, what's that kid's name," I asked, noticing he was getting ready to leave like we were. Most of the customers were long gone, the snow having driven them out. That boy was looking a bit too sad now, not something I should have cared about. He was a stranger to me.

"His name is Ichigo Kurosaki-san. You know Orihime-chan, right? Well, I met him through her," Nel explained to me. I liked that name. Ichigo. I let it roll around my head a few times before answering Nel.

"Strawberry, eh? Matches him pretty well. Neliel," I stopped for a moment to reconsider what I was about to ask my cousin, and decided I wasn't one to actually have restraint, "Could you introduce me to Ichigo?"

My cousin stood up straight, holding a box she had been packing in her arms. She looked at me with a knowing look on her face. I'd only seen this look a few other times when Nel thought, or rather did know, when I was attracted to someone. "I can, but you have to be nice to him. I know how you get aggressive and flirty with people. Ichigo-san is a strong person, but I don't want you two fighting."

A feral grin took over my face, one that would make the boys shit their pants. With a snap of her wrist, the woman slapped my cheek and successfully got the grin off my face.

"Damn Nel, no need to get feisty with Grimmjow," Nnoitra sidled up to stand beside his wife and took the box from her. The long-haired bastard had a perverted leer directed at Nel, and leant over to kiss her, "You should introduce the kitty to Ichigo, maybe then we could have the house to ourselves for a night."

Neliel blushed, kissing the man back and then turned to me. She brushed past me, knocking my stub against her shoulder. Oddly it hurt. I hissed at Nel, and turned to follow her to the man packing up his instrument.

"Ichigo-san! Wait please," my cousin shouted as she exited the booth and skipped towards the oranget. I stayed further behind at a safer pace since the ground was slippery and made it to the two before Nel could forget what we wondered over for. "Ichigo-san, this is my cousin, Grimmjow. He wanted to meet you before you went home."

…

I was blushing, I knew I was. He was handsome, and he seemed interested in me. I extended my hand to shake his larger hand. It was slightly rough in mine, and I relished the feel of it. I swallowed thickly as his cerulean eyes bore into mine. Grimmjow's hair was odd, the way it stood up in a sort of fauxhawk. A few strands brushed against his forehead, right between his eyes.

I didn't know if the grin that took over the blunet's face was feral or maniacal. The look on Neliel's face said it all. I was still blushing when I slid my hand out of his and started to walk away.

"Wait, Ichigo-san," Grimmjow's thick voice said, "Would you like to go get some coffee?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **How are my fine people? I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been reading my work, favoring it and so on and so forth. At the point where I'm writing this note, the first chapter isn't up yet, and might not be until I'm done writing this chapter. There may be quite a bit of time between putting up that chapter and this one since I will be moving. We (Mother, Sister, and I) finally got an apartment away from a verbally abusive grandmother. Hinata says hello, she is healthy and loves to play now, unlike when Curly and Katie were around. She is better off as an "only cat." I miss the other two, but meh, things happen.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the anime Bleach, written by Tite Kubo. Rated M for a reason. There are no sexual scenes now, and I will mention a scene at the beginning of a chapter. If under 18, please stay away. It's only a warning because the parental units have their ways of finding this shit out. Also, this is meant to be a Yaoi, not Shonen-ai. The difference being that one contains sex between men, and the other is just fluffy stuff.

…

The place I had in mind was quiet, dark, and cozy, at least that was how I felt about the place. Don't get me wrong, the coffee house was quiet and dimly lit, but to some people, cozy might qualify as too close for comfort. Ichigo and I were seated across from one another in a small booth, our knees sliding past each other and the table just big enough for us to rest our elbows on with our mugs.

I felt like I was crowding the oranget, he didn't look comfortable at all. His violin sat on the seat beside him, and his coat and scarf were around his waist. Was it because I ordered the coffee for him? Maybe the atmosphere was off?

It hits me here; in this very moment…he can't talk to me. There is no way for him to say anything to me. I don't know sign language. Ichigo must know that too. He hasn't signed a thing to me, and I haven't had to play a guessing game.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo-san. I'm probably wasting your time. I'm an idiot, ya know? For however long we've been sitting here, it's finally occurred to me that I don't know sign," I placed a hand over my eyes, frustrated with myself for pointing out the obvious. All I can think is, 'Fuck, fuck, fuck…'

I took my hand from my face and started to pick my things up to leave. The coffee is already paid for, and Ichigo probably doesn't want to be here, with me of all people. How could I have been so stupid?

I pulled my coat over my arm and was beginning to walk past the table to the door when a hand grabbed the fabric of the sleeve. I turned to see Ichigo holding the coat in his clenched fist, a blush on his cheeks. He also had his coat on, scarf around his head, and violin case in the other hand. The oranget doesn't let go, even as I am facing him.

"Can I walk you home?"

He nods his head; his brown eyes the color of earth, focused on my lips instead of my eyes. Ichigo finally let go of my coat, and I place my only arm around his shoulders.

…

Grimmjow was nice, and I didn't mind his forceful nature. I did panic when he started to walk away from the booth, and I'm not sure why. Why did it feel like I was being walked out on by a close person?

I liked his arm around my shoulders, and it was all I could do to lean my head against his solid build and walk with him. He had no idea where he was going, so we ended up just walking around town for a few hours, until we passed by the television and electronics store. The news was on, and in the corner we could make out the time. 10:43 pm. I felt him stiffen under my head, and I looked up to see Grimmjow yawning.

"Ready to go home now? You should probably lead since I've got no fuckin' idea where to go," Grimmjow asked, a smile stretching his lips and eyes sparkling with mirth. I felt heat on my cheeks again, and looked away. I tilted my head in the direction that we needed to go, which was the direction we were currently walking in before passing the store.

We started off again, and within minutes we stood outside of my father's clinic. The lights were still on upstairs in Karin and Yuzu's room wasn't much of a bother since it wasn't a school night.

I turned to my date, err, Grimmjow, and bowed my head to him. I didn't know how to say good bye, or rather, how to convey it so that he understood me.

"This is it? Nice place. I guess I'll see you later? You're coming out again tomorrow?"

I looked up to the man in front of me and nodded my head. I guess I had my usual scowl on my face because Grimmjow didn't look happy with my answer. He turned to leave, his hand coming up in a backwards wave, and before I knew it, I had his hand in mine, kissing the bare knuckles. Would he understand now?

The blunet was facing me now, his hand still in mine. Surprise was written across his face, eyes wide and lips parted only so much. He slowly came back to his senses, hand turning over and gliding against my cheek to cup it. Wow, this was really going fast. I didn't want it to stop though. If it stopped now, or slowed down at all, I'm sure all this that I was feeling would disappear. I couldn't have that, I wouldn't stand for it.

Grimmjow came closer to me, his elbow bent and against my chest between us as he leaned down to rest his forehead against mine. I stared into his eyes, such a shade of blue that kept me guessing. Without a second thought, I brought my lips to his, and closed my eyes.

I want to say that sparks flew about, but that was just it. It was the beginning of something. Whatever it was going to be was going to be fabulous, great, and wonderful.

…

Ichigo had long since walked into the house by now, and I was still out and about town. A slight smile played at my lips, chapped by the cold air of March. My keys were hanging off of my middle finger as I bounded up the stairs to the penthouse apartment I shared with Neliel and Nnoitra. I was quiet as I let myself in, knowing the kids were sleeping, and the other two were doing whatever it was they were doing with their night. I could see the light on under their bedroom door as I passed by to my room at the end of the hall. With a deep breath, I laid myself in bed and just slept. My coat was still on, my shoes were still on, and my keys were still clenched in my hand.

I felt too lazy to get up and do anything with my outerwear, so I laid on my stomach, head turned to the left and stared out of the single window and across to the brick wall of the next apartment complex. Great view, but it didn't dampen my mood.

When was the last time I was in love? Don't say shit about this not being love. Yeah, love is something you feel over time, but what about unconditional love? A child feels this for their parents, siblings, family in general. Soul mates should feel that way as well, without a second thought. Oh what the hell was I talking about? Soul mates and love? Shit, that stuff was so out of character for me.

I had to admit to myself though; I wasn't as tough as I used to be. Losing an arm did that to a person.

…

"Ichi-nii, wake up," Yuzu's voice lifted me from sleep; she gently shook my shoulder for added measure. I wanted to moan, turn over, and go back to sleep. Instead I sat up and rubbed my eyes. With my hands, I signed _"Good morning,"_ to her. She smiled at me, placed a kiss on my cheek, and walked out of the room. Karin came in next.

"Ichi-nii, I wanted to talk to you about something," the older of the two girls said, coming over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it. She didn't look at me, and focused her eyes on the wall opposite my bed. I would wait for her to speak; this was a rare occasion for us. She raised her hands and finally turned to me, signing away as fast as she could without mistakes.

"_Ichi-nii, please don't get mad, we just want to ask you something. Dad says that a friend of his at the hospital can do a procedure that can give you your voice. Yuzu and I really want you to actually do this. We want you to talk to us; we want to hear you speak to us. I really want to hear you sing a lullaby. Dad told us you used to sing to mom before…" _

She stopped there, and I knew how she was feeling. Mom was a tough topic for us all.

I took her hands in mine, rubbing my thumbs along the outside of her hands. Karin was sweet, no matter what front she put on.

"_I want to sing to you, more than anything else. I want to talk to people, strangers, and not worry about if I'm seen as a freak or not. The thing is, the procedure might not work. We would spend all this money and it could backfire. I don't want to get my hopes up only to have them crushed in the end."_

I knew Karin at this moment didn't recognize who I was, I wasn't acting myself. I would be brash, I would do something without thinking, etc. However, I've been thinking about this for twenty years now.

"I know what you mean, Ichi-nii, but I've been saving up, so has Yuzu. We have enough to pay for the procedure between the two of us. It wouldn't be the family paying for it. Ichi-nii, do this for us. Please do this for us. I'm begging you. I hate not knowing what my brother's voice sounds like," Karin placed her hands on my cheeks and looked me in the eyes. She had said this much aloud. Dad knew about this. He was willing to let them do this. I knew he was crazy, but this was too much.

I shook my head, moved her hands from my face, and glared at her. Releasing her hands, I started to make a counter argument, only to be stopped when one of Karin's small hands made contact with my left cheek.

"Don't you dare say a thing. Ichi-nii, do it. I'm not asking you to do it for you; I'm asking you do it for us: me, dad, and Yuzu. I want this more than anything in the world. I want to hear my older brother's voice, the one that he should have."

With that, Karin stood up and left me on the bed with my thoughts. Maybe it was time I did this. Karin and Yuzu rarely, if they ever have, asked for something big.

I took my time getting out of the bed, wondering what I would do today. The market was open today, and seeing that the weather had gotten better over night from my bedroom window, I would go and perform. That meant I would get to see Grimmjow too.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you so much, everyone, who reviewed, favorited, and alerted me and my story. You all make me so happy! I do plan on putting this chapter up as soon as it is finished. Hopefully I'll have it up by the end of the week. If not, I do apologize. I've been moving, and the network I'm using isn't mine per se.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the anime Bleach, written by Tite Kubo. Rated M for a reason. There are no sexual scenes now, and I will mention a scene at the beginning of a chapter. If under 18, please stay away. It's only a warning because the parental units have their ways of finding this shit out. Also, this is meant to be a Yaoi, not Shonen-ai. The difference being that one contains sex between men, and the other is just fluffy stuff.

…

Two weeks have passed since the date that Grimmjow took me on. He told me he wanted to learn sign language too, so we would go out for coffee and I taught him. Grimmjow would guess what a few gestures were- the obvious ones at least- and the other gestures would be written out on a piece of paper. He got quite a bit in the short time we've been studying together, and we can hold a short conversation, a simple conversation.

I still haven't told him about the surgery, which is scheduled for two weeks from tomorrow. I met with the doctor a few days ago, and my chances aren't as great as they had hoped. Since it involves my larynx and vocal flap, the doctor fears that he may cause greater damage and scarring instead of repairing what has been damaged.

I don't exactly fear losing my voice because it's already gone, but I fear losing my life. My chances of survival are at seventy-five percent. A tube will be inserted into my trachea, supplying oxygen to my lungs, and my heart will be monitored the entire time. If the doctor slips at all, the jugular vein will, or could be, severed or nicked. Thinking about this, I place my hand over my neck, and caress the skin there. Grimmjow is looking at me with curiosity, and he doesn't hesitate to ask me what is going on.

I take the paper and write down, hesitating as I come to some parts, that I have the surgery coming up. His eyes are following the lines, taking in the words written down in my hand. Before I finished, the other man took my hand in his, the one I was writing with, and laced our fingers together. The pencil stuck out oddly, stuck between my thumb and his.

"Surgery, huh? So I've been learning sign language for nothin'," Grimmjow jested, looking me in the eyes with his endless ones, "How long will you be out of commission for? I'm guessing I won't see you for a while after the surgery."

I didn't know what to say, and I didn't want to release my hand from his. I squeezed his hand in mine and let my thumb rub against the back of his hand. I looked down to our hands and smiled a bit, a tad sad to those looking on. We sat across from each other in the coffee shop for a while, not saying anything, but our hands stayed together. It was nearing nine o'clock in the evening when we left and walked around like we always do.

…

He was going in for surgery. It was the only thing I could think of while we sat. When we finally left, our coffees were cold, and the weather outside was a bit warmer. Odd for it being an early spring evening and it being almost muggy out. Ichigo walked on my left side so that my arm was around his shoulders. It was sappy of me to think that we were perfect, just how we were. I wasn't feeling my arm anymore, I didn't think about it anymore. I was happy now that I had someone who didn't pity me for my lacking.

Ichigo though…I couldn't understand him wanting to get his voice. He was perfect next to me, under my arm and close to my side. I didn't stop myself from asking why.

"Do you really need your voice?"

The oranget stopped and pulled away from me, looking at me as if I had offended him. I probably did. My anger grew and I couldn't stop the word vomit coming from my mouth.

"You don't need something like that! Isn't your violin enough? Aren't your hands enough?"

Before I could say more, a fist plowed into my cheek, cutting it on the inside. I was stunned as my head snapped to the side and a droplet of blood was thrown from my lips. In my sudden rage, my arm shot out and grabbed Ichigo's neck, and I pulled him around and smashed him against the wall of a shop. Just as suddenly as the rage had come, it was gone, and I let go. My eyes were wide, and I shook. I stumbled backwards to the curb of the street before falling on my ass. Ichigo was distressed as well, and I didn't hear the car's horn blaring as it came towards me. He rushed forward and pulled me back onto the sidewalk before the car was where I once sat.

I wasn't scared by my near death, I was scared by what I had done to this man. Ichigo kept his arms around me as I shook, rubbing circles on my back with one hand and his other crushing my head to his chest. He was shaking as well, and I felt wetness against my scalp.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, eyes closed and hand clutching his shirt tightly, "I hurt you. I'm sorry."

Slowly, I pulled back to look up at Ichigo, his head was down and tears were seeping from the corners of his closed eyes. He snapped now. He opened his eyes and hit me in the chest with open palms, holding back a choked sob. Ichigo kept swallowing it down, but I could see it forcing its way up.

I let him hit me over and over, my arm propping me up to take the blows as they came to me. We sat on the sidewalk for so long, and finally Ichigo tired himself out, letting slip the sob he was so desperately holding down. His smaller hands clutched tightly at my shirt, wrinkling the fabric in his fists. When he rested his head against my chest, I bowed my head to kiss the crown of his own.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo," I murmured again, my arm coming to wrap around him tightly. It was a bit of a struggle to get the both of us up, with my lack of an arm, and clinging desperately to one another, but we managed somehow. I lead us to his home, up to his front door. The oranget let go long enough to fumble with the lock and push the door open.

"I'll go. We've had a long day," I turned to leave, but Ichigo stopped me by grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. It was late, and most of the lights were out in the house, however the other man maneuvered easily through the house, leading me to the stairs.

...

Grimmjow's arm quivered under my touch when I first grabbed him. I was glad my father was out with Urahara, my godfather, for the night and the girls were at a sleep-over. Traveling in the dark was daunting with the man behind me. We made it to the stairs with no issues, much to my relief, and went up quietly despite being alone. At the top, I flipped the hallway light switch to off, casting us into further darkness. I didn't need to drag Grimmjow very far from there to my room. Leaving him in the doorway, I turned the lamp on that was settled on my nightstand, a faint glow bathing the white walls and his smooth skin.

I sat down on the bed and patted the space beside me for the blunet. I didn't look at him, but I heard the bedroom door shut and soft footfalls until I felt the bed dip. He sat on my right side, his left hand gripping the mattress.

"I thought we were a perfect pair, you and I," he started off in a gruff voice. Before he could say more, I placed my hand atop of his and laced our fingers together. We looked at each other for a moment, and then like magnets, our lips touched in a chaste kiss. I didn't notice my eyes flutter shut, or that I was pulling us both back to lie on the bed.

Grimmjow hissed out, crawling over top of me, our hands crushed together in the position we were in. It wasn't perfect, but what was? He let my hand go, and supported himself by setting his hand beside my head. I felt his breath ghost my lips, and I swallowed back saliva. I opened my eyes to see his were still closed, an odd look on his face.

I brushed my knuckles over his cheek, getting him to blink at me.

"Ichigo, you don't know what you do to me. I already feel in over my head with you, but I'd rather drown in you than anything else," I could hear the strain in his voice. Grimmjow wasn't romantic, only voicing his opinion when it didn't involve heavy emotions. He let out a shuttered breath, getting up when I wrapped my arms around his middle.

My lips quivered trying to mouth the words I so wanted to voice. _"Lay with me,"_ I needed to say it. I tried to pass the air through my windpipe, needing a noise to come out. A hiss was all that I received. The man over top of me looked surprised. His blue, oh so blue, eyes were wide and his lips slightly parted. I really liked this face of his. I kept eye contact with him, even if I thought I felt blood rushing to my cheeks. I rolled us over so that we lay on our sides. His left arm rested around my shoulders, hand splayed between the twin blades there. My own hands were clutching the back of his jacket.

There were so many things I would have said, that I wished I could have said. The question at the forefront of my mind was: What were we? There was mutual attraction, and I wondered if our outings could count as dates. He changed my mind about how I felt. I thought maybe I wasn't ready for a relationship, but here I was on the brink of one.

"What are you thinking about? You got this look on your face like your constipated," he drawled out, using his fingers to smooth out the furrow on my brow. Though he lay on top of my arm, I tried to lean over him to reach my desk where a pad of paper and a red pen sat. He turned over onto his back and fell off the bed trying to give me more room to reach. I let out a breathy sigh, mimicking a laugh, and peeked over the edge. That's what he got for saying I looked constipated. His arm reached out and pulled me down on him. My legs remained on the bed, and I was bent a bit backwards.

"So what were you just laughing at, huh punk," Grimmjow played, wrapping his arm around me and flipping us over. My legs finally followed the rest of me, and the other sat on my hips. I still let out my breathy laugh, face going red and tears coming to wet my eyelashes.

...

I couldn't help but laugh along with Ichigo on the floor. His red cheeks clashed with his orange hair, making him a sight for sore eyes. He crossed his wrists behind my neck, settling down long enough to grin at me and peck my lips with his. I pulled us to a sitting position, and grabbed the notepad off the desk.

"Now back to what I was saying. What got you to look like that," I asked and handed him the paper when he let me go. Grabbing the pen off the desk to use, the oranget started writing whatever it was he wanted to say.

I watched as he wrote, reading line after line. The one thing that stood out was, "What are we?" I thought that was pretty damn obvious.

Waiting for him to finish, I played with a loose string off the collar of his coat, tugging it and eventually snapping it off. Trading the thread for the notepad, I mumbled the message to myself, actually reading the words.

"I'll be frank with you, I want to be exclusive. Just you and me. Does that sound stupid?"

Ichigo shook his head, smiling like an idiot.

"Can I safely assume that means yes, you'll be my boyfriend?"

He waggled his eyebrows at me before nodding his head.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** A great thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, and favorited my story. Kisses for you all. We got a new cat, and her name is Daphney. She and Hinata don't get along well. Other than that, I have a job interview on 4/20, and I'm starting school in September. Just a little update with my life. Oh, and chances are, if you read Homestuck, you will notice a little reference from it. If think you found it, let me know! XP

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the anime Bleach, written by Tite Kubo. Rated M for a reason. There are no sexual scenes now, and I will mention a scene at the beginning of a chapter. If under 18, please stay away. It's only a warning because the parental units have their ways of finding this shit out. Also, this is meant to be a Yaoi, not Shonen-ai. The difference being that one contains sex between men, and the other is just fluffy stuff.

...

Grimmjow spent the night with me, having to leave early in the morning to go to the stall in the marketplace. I missed his warm presence already, and by warm I mean body-heat. The heat went out during the night, leaving us to cuddle under the blankets as close as humanly possible.

I left my tea steeping while I grabbed a sleeve of crackers from the pantry. I had no idea how to cook a proper meal still, Yuzu always cooking for us. I chuckled sadly to myself realizing how bad dad and I would be left off once Yuzu got married and moved out. I could see goat-face kicking the guy's ass and scaring him away just to keep his precious babies in the nest. I didn't want to fall in that category, knowing the crazy old ass would try the same with Grimmjow. It wouldn't be long now before I had to introduce the man as my boyfriend.

"Ichigo, my son, how did you sleep? Hmmm? Hmmmm," Isshin, my father, walked into the kitchen, a weird ass look on his weird ass face. I'm so glad I got my looks from mom. Karin sadly looked like dad, only prettier. Yuzu was the perfect mix, to be perfectly honest.

I stared blankly at my father, sipping my tea before blinking.

"He isn't exactly the quietest person in the world when sneaking around the house," dad said with a smile.

I gapped at him, the mug slipping from my grip and crashing to the kitchen countertop.

"Grimmjow seems nice enough. Where'd you meet him," he asked, taking a cracker from the plastic sleeve. The bread left little crumbs in his stubble, and dad didn't notice.

My mind began working once more, and I scowled at my old man. _"None of your damn business, goat," _my hands moved in a flurry of rage.

"It is when you bring men to the house, my house," dad said matter-of-factly. He was right, and it pissed me off. With normal scowl on my face, I cleaned up the mess I made in the kitchen with the mug, and left promptly.

"Oh come now, son! What has got your panties in a bunch? Hmmm," he followed me, and blabbered on. In his hands was the cracker sleeve, and he was stuffing his mouth with the little dried bread slices.

I stopped, feeling my father bump into my back, and turned around. My eye was twitching, and my hands were shaking. I just hope this idiot didn't ruin what had just barely started.

_"If you so desperately want to know, I met him at the marketplace. Knowing you..."_ I couldn't finish that sentence. I was pissed enough as it was, and I didn't want to piss Isshin off too. Besides, I would regret saying it later. I turned away from my father and stormed up the stairs, slamming the door behind me. In my rage, I punched a hole in the plastered wall, as well as kicking my bedframe. The desired effect was not achieved. It was probably twenty minutes of sitting on the floor with a throbbing toe before my father cracked open the door to check on me.

"Ichigo, my son, are you okay," Isshin asked, cataloging the wounded wall. I didn't move from my hunched over position, holding my swollen toe tightly. Dad walked into the room once I didn't show any more signs of violence, and squatted beside me.

"Let me see your foot," he said, taking my hands away from the toe to inspect it. I finally got a look at it too. A cracked and bleeding toenail, some bruising at the tip. Nothing else. He set my foot down and pulled out a bandage that he always had on hand, covering the toenail with the gauze. It was the most he could even do until the nail grew out more.

_"I'm sorry for getting angry. I just didn't expect you to bring it up, or to even meet him so soon," _my hands fluttered about, explaining myself. Dad patted my head, and ruffled my hair, like I was a kid again. Oddly enough, it helped me feel better, like when I was a kid.

"Well, I'm surprised you didn't hear him. He tripped over me and pulled down the side-table trying to stop himself," Isshin said, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head. Thankfully he didn't wait for me to ask why, or rather how, Grimmjow tripped over him. "I passed out before making it to the couch."

All I could do was close my eyes and shake my head. My idiot goatdad would never change. Maybe that would be for the best.

...

Meeting Ichigo's dad so early in the morning was a rather...odd situation. It had been dark in the hallway leading to the front door, there was no way that I could have known a lump of a human was laying on the floor just feet away from the door. In hindsight, it could have gone better. Almost beating the shit out of one another for thinking the other was an intruder wasn't the best first impression I was hoping for. In retrospect, it was the most normal reaction.

I understood why Ichigo didn't want me to meet his dad without him. Isshin Kurosaki was fucking batshit crazy. He went from trying to help me up off the floor to using my right arm sleeve to strangle me. I dug my thumb into his wrist, and twisted his hand away from my throat. When he asked me who I was, and why I was in his home, things started to simmer down. I introduced myself as Ichigo's boyfriend, gave my full name, and even went as far as to tell him where I worked.

Like I said before, Ichigo's dad is fucking batshit crazy. He cried out, pulled me into a bear-hug, and went on to proclaim me as his son-in-law. Honestly, I was fucking confused. Isshin told me to call him, "Papa Isshin," and if I ever needed anything he would be glad to help. From there, I made it known that I needed to be let go and head home to get ready for another day in the open-air market.

Papa Isshin set me back down on my feet even though I'm at least four inches taller than he is. Did I just call him "papa?" Fuck my life!

Now, here I sat in front of my cousin, her husband, and their kids, having a family discussion. Guatiche wanted his own room, being older than Bristanne by three years, and felt entitled to it. Neliel sighed at her son's ranting, and rubbed her belly, which was getting swollen. What the shit, she was fucking pregnant again?

Once the seven year old stopped ranting- I mean pleading his case- Nel stood up from the table and smiled at the boys. Her eyes turned to Nnoitra, and then to me. Oh, she knew I knew now. Her husband froze, eyes on her belly, and then looked up at her glowing face. He looked terrified, having put the pieces together that he would be a father for a third time.

"Guatiche, Bristanne, you know that mama loves you both very, very, so very much, right," she asked as the boys nodded their heads. You could see the fear of bad news in their slackened jaws and teary eyes. "Oh boys, don't cry! I've got good news! Great news! Mama is expecting another baby! You're gunna have another sibling!"

Guatiche was the first up and around the table to hug his mama, and Bristanne was soon to follow. They cried for the sake of crying along with Neliel. I didn't know, still, how Nnoitra dealt with all the weeping. He was the kind of guy who punched another for even thinking about crying. That was what I thought until I looked at the tears running down his long face. This day was getting weirder by the moment. I wasn't about to stay at this cry fest.

Making sure there was a smile on my face, I stood up and gave the family my congratulations. One last look at the huddled up family, and I was going to my room in the back of the little apartment.

This really made me think though. They were going to need space, and lots of it. This penthouse only had three bedrooms. I was not about to share my personal space with an infant, or child. The room was small enough as it was; another bed and dresser were not going to fit in here. Sighing heavily, the conclusion to find a place of my own was at the forefront of my mind. I had maybe six months at best before I had to really worry about getting the fuck out of here.

Instead of dwelling on the growing family my cousin had, I sat at my desk to work on some new textile projects. I took hold of the knitting board and some new yarn that Neliel had purchased for me, a shimmering blue and silver, and got to work on a blanket.

My mind wasn't thinking straight though. Nel was so happy, and I was angry at her happiness. Jealousy was a familiar feeling to me. I was almost 35 years old and had nothing. No, not nothing. It just felt like it was nothing because it wasn't what I wanted. I hated living here, being babied and helped all the time. I missed the struggle of independence, I missed being alone, I missed unwinding without children around to tell me that I said a bad word.

Slamming my single fist on the desk, I stood up and pulled my coat over my shoulders. I grabbed my wallet and keys, and stormed out of the apartment. Thankfully the Brady Bunch were dispersed to their rooms and didn't pay witness to my misplaced rage. Didn't need the brats to suddenly be scared of Uncle Grimmy.

I made the trek to Ichigo's home, and stood outside of the gate for a long while before gathering the courage, and calming myself enough, to go up to the door. Knocking on the door, I waited for the answer that would come. It was still early enough in the night to not be rude or wake anyone up.

A high school aged girl came to the door, her long brunette hair in pigtails over her shoulders. She smiled at me, and pulled me inside. I was shocked by the hand around my wrist that I didn't fight the weak pulling.

"Dad, is this the guy you were talking about," asked the girl, still holding my wrist as we navigated to the kitchen and dining room. Ichigo was nowhere to be seen, and it startled me. I wasn't really able to even ask as Isshin practically tackled me.

"This, my dear Yuzu, is him! Ichigo's boyfriend~! Karin, come meet your brother-in-law," the psycho sounded off as Yuzu went back to cooking whatever was on the stove-top. Damn that smelled good. I could hear thumping from the floor above me, two pairs of feet hitting the wooden boards. The girl I suspected to be Karin had tripped Ichigo as they entered the kitchen, and laughed at her brother. She shot a deadpan look at her father, and then looked at me.

"So that's the guy Ichigo's been keeping secret from us all this time, huh? Not bad. I've seen better," Karin said, toeing her brother in the shoulder. He was just getting off the floor in a huff. My eye was twitching, recounting the words the arrogant little bitch said.

"Karin-nee, you shouldn't lie. He's really handsome. Ichi-nii couldn't have done better because Grimm-nii is the best," Yuzu said in a melodic tone, her ever present smile still there. The darker haired teen huffed, took a step forward, and was effectively tripped by her older brother. I let out a hearty laugh at her expense, she got what she deserved.

Oddly, throughout this entire encounter, Isshin was still hugging me. Ichigo was up and pulling the goat off of me, shoving his hand in his father's face. Once free, I placed a kiss on my boyfriend's cheek and wrapped my arm around his shoulders.


End file.
